World Water Day: HIA is striving against water shortage in several countries

Water shortage is one of the global crises that affects quarter of the World’s population. Clean driking water is essential for human life so its growing shortage caused and has been causing humanitarian crisis in several countries. Hungarian Interchurch Aid within its international assistance has implemented water supply related developments in several countries. Currently, striving against water shortage is a main part of its humanitarian and development work in many regions, as in Iraq, Ethiopia and Afghanistan.

To support the return of Iraqi families who fled from ISIS it is a main task to restore basic services as water supply. With the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary HIA has implemented grand pojects in the last two years that reacts to the water-related problems of the country. HIA has rehabilitated the water supply network of six settlements in Northern Iraq. By expanding the network’s capacity and improving the quality of the water the project led to better living conditions to 35 000 local people. In addition, a 3 km long irrigation canal was cleaned and rehabilited in the Nahla Valley as the ongoing water supply defines the livelihood of the farmer families living in the highlands. In the days of a pandemic it became extremely important to provide good sanitary conditions and clean water is top priority. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided help for this issue in the form of a water cleaning system that HIA is going to use to clean the water of Karamlesh. Hungarian experts helped the installation and shared their knowledge with the locals.

HIA implemented an aid programme in Ethiopia in 2011 when unprecedented drought caused water and food shortage. The organization’s work continued with the reconstruction of a water dam in South Ethiopia which led to the stabilization of the living conditions of local families. In the past weeks HIA’s colleagues carried out assessments in Ethiopia again: with the support of the Hungary Helps Program the NGO will implement water management, educational and agricultural programmes in 2021. HIA’s colleagues visited settlements where locals has to walk 20-25 kilometres to get clear water. The problem is obviously present in the country and the organization is ready to help working on a solution.

Water supply is a priority of HIA’s development work in Afghanistan. In 2019, HIA Hungary signed an agreement with the UN World Food Program (WFP), within the organization supported the construction of drainage walls, irrigation canals and a flood defence dam in the country.